No Kill group puts pressure on animal shelter

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EUGENE, Ore. - A group that opposes euthanizing sick or dangerous animals is applying pressure to the humane society that holds the public contract for animal control in Eugene and Lane County.

Greenhill Humane Society took over animal control in a contract signed by city and county leaders, replacing Lane County Animal Services as the operator of the shelter on 1st Avenue in Eugene.

A group called "No Kill Lane County" wants the shelter to no longer put down sick or dangerous animals.

"Greenhill has said they are not a no kill shelter, they have said that many times, and that's what we want them to be," said Molly Sargent with No Kill Lane County. "And if they would just do that, if they would just do that one thing, it would make all the difference."

Sargent said the group is concerned about veterinary care at the shelter.

"They are being held without medical treatment for so many days without medical treatment before they are being treated," she said.

And No Kill Lane County questions the practice of putting down sick and dangerous animals.

Greenhill said there isn't a problem.

"Most of the time we are able to adopt the animal out, if it is not returned to its owner," said Jacklyn Semple with Greenhill. "That's the vast majority of situations."

Kelly Darnell with the City of Eugene said city staff visit the shelter unannounced two to three times a week and report they are seeing well fed and exercised animals.

Darnell said that, although the city receives regular emails from a half a dozen community members with shelter concerns, the City of Eugene is not hearing concerns from the larger Eugene community.

"We truly believe that we are making the best choice the most humane choice for every animal with experience staff, with professional experience," Semple said. "We have multiple veterinarians that work for us, and they are the ones that make those decisions."

No Kill Lane County said they are preparing to sue Greenhill over access to information.

The City of Eugene and Greenhill said they just want to concentrate on continuing to adopt out the animals that come into their care.

Nigel Jaquiss, a reporter at KATU’s news partners at Willamette Week, and KATU’s Hillary Lake join host Steve Dunn to discuss the lawsuits surrounding Oregon’s failed Cover Oregon, those personal emails Kitzhaber’s office asked to be deleted from state servers and the investigations into him and his fiancée, Cylvia Hayes.